I tackled Claire Saffitz’s kouign-amann recipe, a buttery French pastry made with laminated yeasted dough and plenty of caramelized sugar. While challenging, Claire’s detailed instructions and YouTube guidance make homemade kouign-amann surprisingly approachable. The result is crisp, deeply caramelized, perfectly sweet, and packed with heavenly, flaky layers throughout.
Claire Saffitz’s Black Sesame Paris-Brest turns classic pâte à choux into a showstopping birthday dessert filled with nutty black sesame pastry cream and whipped cream. Homemade black tahini adds toasted, slightly bitter balance, while crisp choux and silky filling make this French pastry worth attempting, even when the ring misbehaves.
For my December 10 Years of SBIF challenge, I finally tackled Claire Saffitz’s Pistachio Macarons. The shells were finicky, hollow, and humbling – but the pistachio buttercream was silky, nutty perfection. Not every bake needs to be flawless to be worth making (or eating).
To celebrate ten years of Store Bought Is Fine, I tackled Claire Saffitz’s Everything Bagels – a true baking project involving kneading, proofing, boiling, and baking to golden perfection. They’re chewy, flavorful, and delightfully rustic, especially served with Tabasco butter, soft-scrambled eggs, and bacon. A new appreciation for the bagel pros!
Wrap up rhubarb season with Claire Saffitz’s Rhubarb Custard Cake – an easy, elegant dessert layered with lemon, dark rum, and sour cream. Topped with fresh rhubarb and baked in a springform, this cake is irresistibly moist and perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. A must-bake for any rhubarb lover.
Claire Saffitz’s rhubarb cake from Dessert Person makes the most of rhubarb season with a moist, tangy loaf packed with yogurt, orange zest, and a layer of caramelized crunch from demerara sugar. Both beautiful and delicious, it’s a simple spring dessert that hits the perfect sweet-tart balance.
For a milestone birthday, I tackled Claire Saffitz’s showstopping croquembouche: a caramel-glazed tower of cream puffs filled with vanilla, chocolate, and black sesame pastry cream. Between the crisp shell, airy choux, and silky filling, it was pure dessert magic – and the perfect way to ring in a new decade.
Claire Saffitz’s Meyer Lemon Tart is the perfect winter pick-me-up. A buttery, crisp crust layered with sweet raspberry jam and topped with a smooth, tangy Meyer lemon curd enriched with Greek yogurt and lemon zest creates an irresistible balance. Bright, fresh, and delicious – this tart is sure to cure your winter blues.